Trust is one of the key components of successful overseas expansion. When you are trying to launch your business in another country, the local population is likely to treat you with suspicion. You’re bringing them something different, and if you want to establish yourself, you need to demonstrate that you are reliable.
Unless you can establish that trust and integrate into the local community, your overseas expansion plans will fall flat. Luckily, there are some simple things you can do to create connections with international customers. Here’s how you can build trust when expanding your business overseas.
Partner With Local Brands
Brand partnerships are an excellent way to expand your reach, and when managed properly, they benefit both parties. They’re particularly effective for companies that are moving into a new country where they are previously unknown. By launching a joint marketing campaign with an established local brand, you automatically build authority because people trust that brand, and now, by extension, they trust you.
The key to a successful brand partnership is finding another company with a similar target audience but also one that isn’t a direct rival. That way, you can reach new customers without putting yourself in direct competition and potentially losing existing customers. Check out this great list of some of the best brand partnerships to get some ideas.
Provide Local Phone Support
If customers have to deal with call centers halfway around the world, it makes you feel like a faceless business that isn’t invested in their country. But if you are able to provide local phone support in their native language, you instantly build bridges with those new customers. There are some excellent multilingual telemarketing services that help you reach people across the globe. Visit gsa-marketing.co.uk to learn more about improving your call center operation for a global market.
Donate To Local Charities
Demonstrating that you are invested in the local community and that you are willing to give something back is an excellent way to build trust. Donating to local charities and creating partnerships with them makes you an integral part of the community, rather than a business that is just looking for more revenue streams.
When choosing a charity to work with, consider your target audience and the issues that they are likely to be invested in. For example, the younger generation tends to be concerned with environmental issues, while the older generation may be more inclined to give to charities for veterans. These are only generalizations, of course, but if you do the right market research, you can determine which charities are most optimal for your business to support. You can find a great guide to business-charity partnerships at forbes.com for more information.
Many businesses have difficulty with overseas expansion because they are simply not accepted by local communities. Their brand doesn’t carry any weight, and it’s difficult to get people to trust in the business. However, you can change that by making these three simple changes when trying to grow your business abroad.
